Messaging platform WhatsApp seems to be taking a new direction after a decision by its parent company, Meta, to drop the native Windows app version in favor of the web version.
The new direction comes with the latest version of WhatsApp beta for Windows, which comes with a very different look from the current version of the app that is available for download on the Microsoft Store.
As it stands, the reason for this move remains unclear, but it appears that the shift back to a web app may be to make it easier for the platform’s developers to add new features.
This is because maintaining a single base of code that extends across various system platforms is easier than working on different versions.
Despite this being good for developers, many users have reportedly complained that the web version of WhatsApp uses up more RAM and resources compared to the native app version on Windows.
In a publication, the new app seemed to have used about 30% more RAM than the native app during testing.
Additionally, the web version has also been confirmed by Meta to be much slower than the native Windows app. One of the other downsides is that the web wrapper looks out of place on Windows as it misses out on the Fluent Design System.
Notifications will also work differently on the web app version compared to those of the native version. But since the web version of WhatsApp has some extra features, they will most likely be available on Windows as well.
The native desktop app version of WhatsApp was launched back in 2021 to eliminate the need for users to use the browser version. So, it will be interesting to see how the new version performs once it’s made the default version on Windows.
